The obvious has become official. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told the media today that left-hander John Means will start the July 24 opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Means made his major league debut in Boston in 2018. Means, the club's lone All-Star representative last summer as a rookie, will start the July 19 exhibition game in Philadelphia to prep for the assignment. "I told him yesterday and he's really excited," Hyde said on his daily Zoom conference call. Asked what made...

With only three true exhibition games on their schedule, the Nationals aren't going to get much of an opportunity to build themselves up into regular season shape before opening night arrives July 23. They have to make the most of whatever game-like situations they can draw up in the meantime, such as today's four-inning intrasquad contest at Nationals Park. "I don't feel like these guys are not going to be ready or not be prepared for what's to come," manager Davey Martinez said. "I...

Adam Eaton got to stand in for a couple of at-bats against right-hander Stephen Strasburg in Friday's morning sim game. He jokingly acted like he was going to bunt early on in the first at-bat, smiling as he returned to the batter's box. The right fielder ended up lining out to center field and then later grounded out back to Strasburg. All in all, he was happy to see real-life pitching as summer training reaches its second week. "It was good. Workouts have been smooth, just as all of...

One year and three days after undergoing his second reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, Orioles pitcher Josh Rogers stepped on a half mound at a friend's indoor sports training facility in Sellersburg, Ind., threw a baseball and felt whole again. Didn't really matter that there's no minor league season to shoot for or a definite plan for later in the summer and over the winter. Rogers had battled back again from a serious injury, the kind that can wreck a career. That half mound was...

Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer looked ready to go with his 48 pitches in his first summer training sim game at Nats Park. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has his sim game today. Right-hander Aníbal Sánchez threw more than 60 pitches on Thursday. Left-hander Patrick Corbin is expected to throw tomorrow. The Nationals want to make sure their big four are good to go for the 2020 season, and manager Davey Martinez said the guys came to summer training ready. He knows the starting...

Stephen Strasburg had spent the better part of a decade learning how best to prepare for - and then thrive in - a 162-game baseball season. And after years of fine-tuning and injuries and hopeful stretches following by disappointing conclusions, he figured it out at last. Strasburg's 2019 season was the perfect culmination of a career spent tinkering. He led the league in innings pitched. He led the league in wins. And he put together one of the great postseason runs of all-time, earning World...

He may have entered pro baseball as a big bonus kid from Venezuela, but it took Renato Núñez quite some time to get an extended big league chance. It happened in his third season with his third team. And it was with the Orioles, who acquired him on waivers from Texas on May 13, 2018. Later that summer he got a chance to play every day. Then last year he got to play almost every day for a full major league season. The 26-year-old Núñez made 109 starts as the DH and 29 as a corner...

Not only did José Iglesias make it into tonight's intrasquad game at Camden Yards, but he doubled off John Means into an empty right field in the top of the first inning and stroked another double into left-center in the third. That's one way to remove the concerns about your back. Or at least get the media off the one belonging to manager Brandon Hyde, who provided updates the past two days. However, Iglesias was hobbled as he ran the bases, twice came out for a pinch-runner and was...

The Nationals got one of their key absent regulars into camp today, encouraged to see Starlin Castro in person at last while still waiting for several others to be cleared to participate in summer training. Castro, projected to be the club's new second baseman and potentially No. 3 hitter, hadn't been allowed to come to Nationals Park upon first arriving from the Dominican Republic. Team officials have not been able to provide specific details related to players' absences during the first...

Orioles shortstop José Iglesias could be available to play in tonight's intrasquad game at Camden Yards after missing last night's affair. Manager Brandon Hyde said Iglesias' back has improved and the veteran is a gametime decision. He'll test it later this afternoon before the club determines his status. Iglesias also sat out Tuesday's workout because of the discomfort. "We're going to go through all the pregame stuff with him and make a decision," Hyde said in today's Zoom...